An Apple a Day…

This article was published in the Escape Artist Weekly Newsletter on August 17, 2018. If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter, please click here.

Hello readers,

I am hoping this weekly round-up finds you in good health. Health is our topic of discussion today; not only physical health but also mental health. As an expat, you may find navigating the world of health to be a lot different than it is back home. It may not be as reliable in your new location. You may be confused by how the healthcare system works abroad, so it’s important to do your research before moving overseas.

This week, we’ll cover the importance of having international health insurance, how mental health plays a role in expat employees, and which country is changing the way they handle healthcare.

As an added bonus, can you guess which county is opening the world’s fastest roller coaster? Keep reading to find out.

Just like every Friday, the newest Escape Artist content can be found at the end of this newsletter.

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Raising the Bar for Expat Mental Health

Many lucky employees are asked to take their skills into a global marketplace and move abroad. Moving to a new country can be a life-changing and positive experience but entails a new culture, new ways of living, new rules, regulations, and sometimes even language. Adapting to all of this change can take a toll on a person’s mental health.

A study conducted in July of this year by The Health Insurance Group found that only 34% of employers have programs dedicated to providing mental health support to their expat employees. With these numbers, thousands of expats are left without the guidance they need to adapt healthily to their new lives, which means many can suffer far from the comfort of home.

This research has triggered employers with expat workers to reevaluate mental health support. The change calls for specific policies that are tailored to the needs of the employees.

Head of international for The Health Insurance Group had this to say:

“Today’s employees want to work for employers who take their well-being seriously. Forward-thinking organisations understand the importance of providing a complete package for staff which looks after both physical and mental health. This is even more important with overseas employees, given the additional stresses involved.”

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Be Prepared

Your health should be at the forefront of your mind as you travel and become an ex pat. The healthcare system of your new home may not be as reliable or easy to navigate as you are used to. Additionally, when you are abroad, you never know what kind of accidents you could find yourself in or what kind of illness may be around the corner.

With international health insurance, you can worry less.If you are questioning why you would even need international health insurance, consider the following:

As an expat, you may not be eligible for a nation’s free healthcare.

The quality of healthcare caries from country to country.

Facilities may not be easily accessible.

If you are in a life-threatening situation, how much would emergency medical evacuation cost you?

International health insurance can remedy these issues. Policies can be formed to fit your needs and can vary in costs. Before taking the leap and exploring our beautiful world, consider your health and get covered.

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Changing How India Sees Healthcare

When it comes to healthcare in India, many people are experiencing two different stories. Many enter a lavish hospital with chandeliers and Starbucks in the lobby of a hospital with autism and Alzheimer’s clinics, genetic testing, clinical trials, and more. Others are hoping to get treatment and are heartbroken when they are told they must go home and wait for a bed to be open.

Because of this inequality, one of the world’s largest healthcare overhauls is set to occur in India.

While India has some of the best medical hospitals in Asia, they are not all accessible and affordable for all. Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, addressed this in his Independence Day speech on Wednesday. He believes that highly sought after medical services in the country should be accessible to everyone, not just everyone who can afford it or have medical insurance covered by their employer.

The overhaul is expected to be in place by the end of the year.

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Adrenaline is Good for Your Health, Right?

For all of you ride warriors out there, Cedar Point’s Valravn will be losing its title as the longest, tallest, and fastest roller coaster in the world. Canada’s Wonderland theme park is set to open the Yukon Striker next year.

Riders will experience a 90-degree, 245-foot drop into an underground tunnel. The entire track is 3,625 feet long and also features a huge 360-degree loop. At its fastest, the coaster travels 80 miles per hour.
The Yukon Striker will be taking the accolades from the Valravn at Ohio’s Cedar Point, which stands at 223 feet tall and 3,415 feet long, hitting 75 miles per hour.

Would you ride the Yukon Striker?

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Have You Made Your Reservations Yet?

Our conference is coming up! You don’t want to miss out on the first expat conference made for you, by you!

We have received so much great feedback and help in planning the very first Escape Artist conference! Your contribution to our survey gives us a great idea of what the event will look like, what we will discuss, and how many of you would like to attend. We are excited to announce that the dates and location of the conference have been decided!

Mark Your Calendars for December 1st and 2nd…and book your trip to Dallas, Texas, to meet all of your favorite Escape Artists!

Want to join us? Contact me here. If you would like to reserve your spot, please send me a message and I will personally send you the official invite when it is finalized over the coming weeks. There will also be a 10% discount for anyone who reserves a spot in the month of June. Seats are limited, so act now!

If you’d still like to share your ideas for the conference, you can fill out the survey here!

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Thank you for reading this week’s round-up! If you’re interested in learning what it’s like to become an expat, don’t hesitate to ask some questions. At Escape Artist, we aim to ensure that your travels abroad run as smoothly as they can.

For more information on what’s going on in the international scene, check out some of this week’s newest articles!

P.S.Do you have questions about how to live abroad and what the experience is like? Are you looking for international investment opportunities? Want to meet like-minded people who are in the same boat as you? Come hang out with other EA readers and the Escape Artist staff! We will be hosting an event this year and can’t wait to meet you!

Click here to find out more informationand to stay in the loop on locations and dates! It’s important that this event be exactly what YOU want – no alternate agenda or product pitches! This is about answering YOUR questions! In order for the event to be a success, take a second to fill out this survey. By sending us your thoughts, you can tailor the event to your specific overseas needs. We will also be supplying a 10% discount during registration to everyone that filled out the survey to make the event possible!

While many Americans are starting to understand the benefits associated with having a second passport from a foreign country, there is still uncertainty over which country offers the best incentives to foreign investors. In this post, we’ll explore Ireland’s visa offering and give you the good and the bad of this second residency program.

Portugal, Malta, and several countries in the region have great double passport programs that are cheap and extremely efficient. These are very well known and have attracted many foreign investors.

One country that is not that well known to foreign investors that’s starting to take advantage of…

For the last few decades, snowbirds have been flocking to Mexico. Snowbirds are responsible for the growth of Medical Tourism in Mexico and the increase in foreigners buying vacation property in Mexico. Many started out as snowbirds in Mexico and have now retired here full time.

The common definition of snowbird is an older person from the United States and Canada who travels to Mexico or southern parts of the United States to avoid the cold climate. A snowbird is typically a retiree who doesn’t wish to spend a few months a year in Michigan (for example), so they come to warm Mexico. There are also snowbirds that travel to or move to Mexico for their health (the climate is better for their health).

Even though some islands in the Caribbean have been having their own sprout of snowbirds recently, Mexico has…

More and more Americans are calling Tijuana home. This Mexican city is a cheap and fantastic alternative to the high housing prices that have been on the rise in San Diego and neighboring towns lately. About 90,000 people cross the border each day to work in San Diego. Here’s why so many Americans are now calling Tijuana home.

The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in San Diego is $1,800, and for a two-bedroom apartment it’s $2,300. These prices are a challenge for many when you add to it the high cost of living in the city.

It is practically impossible to live in San Diego if you’re earning minimum wage or if you’re studying and are only generating income through Uber or other APP related commerce. This is why Tijuana has become so popular in the last 3 years.

Mitt Romney is expected to win the race for a Senate seat in Utah and could end up becoming one of the most powerful players in the United States Senate. Mr. Romney is a former governor of Massachusetts and ran for president in 2012 but lost to Barack Obama. With all of that said, the most interesting thing about Mr. Romney is his IRA account.

Estimates of Mr. Romney’s IRA account are as high as $101.6 million, depending on who you ask. No matter the exact number…

One of the best jurisdictions for an international bank license is St. Lucia. In this post, I’ll look at why you should consider forming an international bank in St. Lucia.

Let me start by pointing out that the top three offshore bank license jurisdictions in 2018 are St. Lucia, Dominica, and Puerto Rico. St. Lucia and Dominica issue one or two licenses per year and Puerto Rico is about 25. Because Puerto Rico is…